Comparison

Collected Notes vs DropBrain

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Collected Notes

A note-taking platform that allows users to create private notes, share them publicly, and build a blog with a custom domain. It focuses on a simple, native experience with live Markdown previews and no ads or tracking.

Highlights
  • Markdown with live preview
  • Create private notes
  • Share notes publicly
  • Build a blog with custom domain
  • Native iPhone experience
  • No ads or tracking
Read full description

Upload your thoughts. The simplest, and most powerful note-taking blogging platform ever made. Create private notes, share them publicly and create your blog with a custom domain. ■ Markdown with live preview Live Markdown previews allow you to see the final result in real-time as you type. ■ Simplicity Every app out there eventually tries to do more than they should. We believe in doing less, but better. ■ Native experience The iPhone app allows for a fast native-first experience. Just open the app and go right into writing mode. ■ No nonsense No ads. No feature creep. No tracking. No annoying emails. No data sold. No comments. No vanity metrics. No proprietary formats. You'll never see popups, clutter, subscription up-sells, or anything that interferes with the reading experience. Collected Notes is a reading-first experience. Your attention matters. Terms of use: https://collectednotes.com/blog/terms

About

DropBrain

Read full description

DropBrain: Journal Your Thoughts Instantly, Organize Later Your brain doesn't think in folders. It just thinks. Ideas pop up. Feelings happen. You need to capture them now before they vanish. DropBrain solves the problem every journaling app has: "Where should I save this?" By the time you decide, the thought is gone. --- TIMELINE THINKING --- Your newest thoughts are always at the bottom of the screen. No navigation. No folders required. Just open, type, done. • Reverse chronological timeline (newest always accessible) • Bottom input bar for instant capture • Groups to organize when you're ready (or never) • Threads to expand on ideas • Scroll through your stream of consciousness • Mark messages as Done, Favorite, or Important • Strikethrough completed thoughts Think of it like a feed for your mind. Capture everything. Sort nothing unless you want to. Your timeline becomes your external brain. --- BUILT FOR QUICK JOURNALING --- Students capturing ideas between classes. Creatives collecting thoughts throughout the day. Anyone with ADHD who thinks faster than they organize. People writing about their feelings and daily life. If you've ever lost a thought because you couldn't pick a folder, DropBrain is for you. • Designed for iPhone (pocket-first, not desktop-first) • Quick journal entries about thoughts and feelings • Bottom-up scrolling keeps recent entries at hand • No "where does this go?" friction • iCloud sync across all your Apple devices --- AI-POWERED WRITING SUPPORT --- Write confidently with on-device Apple Intelligence (iOS 26+): • Tap to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation • 100% on-device processing (no cloud, no servers) • Fixes phonetic errors (becuz → because) • Preserves your natural voice • 25 corrections free/month, unlimited with Premium --- ACCESSIBILITY FIRST --- Built by someone with dyslexia who understands different minds: • OpenDyslexic font for dyslexic readers • Adjustable line spacing and contrast • Flexible message padding and visual density • Timeline layout for non-linear thinking • Full Dynamic Type support with VoiceOver labels throughout • No forced organization (works with your brain, not against it) --- CUSTOMIZATION AT THE CENTER --- Every brain processes differently. Customize everything: Fonts: System, OpenDyslexic, Fira Code, JetBrains Mono, Lexend Themes: 9 total (3 free + 6 premium pastels) Styles: Bubble, card, minimal, compact, spacious Spacing: Line height, padding, margins Visual Density: Headers, timestamps, dividers --- SECURITY & PRIVACY --- Your thoughts, feelings, and ideas deserve complete privacy and protection. • Face ID & Pincode lock — secure your journal with biometric or code authentication • Everything stored in YOUR private iCloud (not our servers) • Only you can read your journal entries - we have zero access • AI corrections happen on-device (nothing sent to external servers) • No company databases, no analytics, no tracking • GDPR data export & purge — download or delete all your data anytime • Ad-free forever Your most personal thoughts stay personal. No exceptions. --- PREMIUM ($2.99/month) --- - Unlimited AI corrections (free: 25/month) - 6 additional pastel themes - 4 premium fonts (OpenDyslexic, Fira Code, JetBrains Mono, Lexend) - Custom app icons - Hide groups from Home - Mark as Done, Favorite, Important (message markers) - Strikethrough messages - Face ID / Pincode lock Cancel anytime in App Store settings. Free version includes core features. --- DESIGNED FOR --- - People with dyslexia or ADHD - Visual thinkers and creative minds - Students seeking accessible journaling - Anyone preferring flexible organization --- SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS --- iOS 26.0 or later iCloud account for sync AI correction requires Apple Intelligence enabled Free version includes core features Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Collected Notes4 screens
DropBrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Collected Notes at 3 against DropBrain's 1. Collected Notes also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Collected Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and DropBrain sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Collected Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, DropBrain weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Collected Notes versus DropBrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCollected NotesDropBrain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (43 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews86.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings43 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlfajor Co.Alexander Brandstedt

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Collected Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Collected Notes Basic7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Collected Notes Premium7 Days trial$4.991 Month
1 purchases

DropBrain

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Subscription$2.991 Month

Questions

Is Collected Notes free?
Collected Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DropBrain free?
DropBrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Collected Notes or DropBrain have ads?
Neither Collected Notes nor DropBrain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Collected Notes or DropBrain?
Collected Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and DropBrain weekly. Most recently, Collected Notes was updated on September 14, 2026 and DropBrain on August 27, 2026.

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